Kansas City Current Wins Second Consecutive Teal Rising Cup with 6-1 Triumph over SE Palmeiras
NWSL Kansas City Current

Kansas City Current Wins Second Consecutive Teal Rising Cup with 6-1 Triumph over SE Palmeiras

Published on April 12, 2026 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Kansas City Current News Release


KANSAS CITY - The Kansas City Current won the 2026 Teal Rising Cup, presented by Visit Missouri, in dominant fashion Sunday evening at CPKC Stadium, using a six-goal first half to down Brazil's SE Palmeiras, 6-1. Forward Haley Hopkins notched a first-half hat trick - the first in CPKC Stadium history and second in franchise history across all competitions - while forward Amelia White scored her first professional goal. Forward Temwa Chawinga rounded out the Current's scoring barrage with a breakaway finish, sealing Kansas City's second consecutive Teal Rising Cup.

Hopkins earned Teal Rising Cup Most Valuable Player honors for the second consecutive year after notching four goals across the Current's two matches. She is the tournament's all-time leading scorer with five goals.

Additionally, Kansas City matched the most goals scored in a game in club history across all competitions, equaling a six-goal output in October 2023. It was also the most goals the team has scored at CPKC Stadium.

"To the three other clubs that made this possible - Corinthians, Palmeiras, Club América - we're grateful that they took part in this competition with us and they came and took it as seriously as we did," said head coach Chris Armas. "Every time there's a trophy on the line of any sort, that should never get old...We had many objectives in this tournament here, and [winning] was certainly one of them. For the players, a big congratulations to the group that they got to lift the trophy."

Sunday's championship got off to a lively start, and the Current capped an end-to-end move with an early goal just two minutes in. Midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta looped a ball forward for Hopkins down the left wing, and Hopkins drove towards goal to evade a Palmeiras defender before driving a low ball from the endline across the penalty area. The ball took a deflection off a Palmeiras defender from inside the six-yard box and redirected into the back of the net, opening the floodgates for an unrelenting early offensive output.

The home team doubled its advantage five minutes later. LaBonta instigated the move with pressure in the attacking third, forcing a turnover in the box and sliding a one-time pass across goal for an unmarked Hopkins. Hopkins took a composed touch and calmly rolled it through the legs of Palmeiras goalkeeper Taina to give Kansas City a 2-0 lead.

In the 15th minute, Kansas City tripled its lead after White's first professional goal. As the Current continued to press in the attacking third, LaBonta dished a pass forward for midfielder Debinha on the right wing. Debinha played the ball forward for an overlapping White who, from a tight angle on the right side of the 18-yard box, lofted a curling, one-time effort that evaded the outstretched arms of a diving Taina, struck the post and nestled in the left side netting.

Kansas City continued its first-half scoring blitz as the opening frame progressed. In the 26th minute, the Current added a fourth goal after an expertly struck free kick by Bethune on the right wing found Hopkins on the run at the penalty spot. Hopkins connected perfectly with the cross, steering a header into the center of the goal.

Ten minutes later, Hopkins completed her hat trick with a breakaway finish set up by a defense-splitting through ball from Debinha. Debinha's pass played Hopkins in behind the Palmeiras defense for a one-on-one opportunity against Taina. With Palmeiras' netminder out of her goal, Hopkins rounded her before rolling the ball into a vacant goal to make it a 5-0 game.

Hopkins registered the second hat trick in Current history and the first hat trick recorded at CPKC Stadium by a Current player. Kansas City's first hat trick in franchise history was recorded by forward Kristen Hamilton during an NWSL Challenge Cup match on July 23, 2023.

Chawinga added to the Current's tally just before halftime with her first goal of 2026 after being removed from the season ending injury list on April 3. Bethune set the goal up, splitting two Palmeiras defenders with a pass that met Chawinga's forward run in stride. Chawinga took two touches forward, deked a sprawling Taina and cooly tapped the ball into the lower right corner.

Kansas City's 6-0 lead stood as the halftime whistle sounded, marking the most goals the Current has scored in a half in any match in franchise history.

Forward Bia Zaneratto notched a goal for the visitors in the late stages of the second half, but the Current's sizeable lead secured the 2026 Teal Rising Cup, presented by Visit Missouri, with a final score of 6-1. The win marks Kansas City's fifth-ever trophy and the fourth trophy won at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium in the world built for women's professional sports.

In the first match of Sunday's doubleheader, Brazil's Corinthians SC took home third place honors after cruising past Mexican side Club América, 8-0. Corinthians scored seven second half goals to seal the tie, highlighted by braces from forwards Jaqueline and Ariel Godoi.

Kansas City returns to NWSL regular season action on Friday, April 24, with a road clash against the Washington Spirit in the nation's capital. The match will broadcast nationally on Prime Video, while fans in Kansas City can listen to the match on 90.9 The Bridge. An audio stream of the match will be available in English, Spanish and Portuguese on the KC Current App.

Teal Rising Cup Match Report

Match: Kansas City Current vs. SE Palmeiras

Date: April 12, 2026

Venue: CPKC Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Kickoff: 6:04 p.m. CT

Weather: 73 degrees, mostly sunny

Discipline

40' Palmeiras - Benitez (Yellow)

42' Palmeiras - Poliana (Yellow)

Scoring

2' Kansas City - Own Goal

7' Kansas City - Hopkins (LaBonta)

15' Kansas City - White (Debinha)

26' Kansas City - Hopkins (Bethune)

36' Kansas City - Hopkins (Debinha)

44' Kansas City - Chawinga (Bethune)

82' Palmeiras - Zaneratto (Santos)

Scoring Summary

1 2 F

Kansas City 6 0 6

Palmeiras 0 1 1

Kansas City Current Lineup: Jordan, Rodriguez, Sharples, Ball (61' Suliafu), Rouse, Bethune (46' Feist), LaBonta © (61' Clark), Debinha (61' Bravo-Young), Chawinga (46' Hocking), White, Hopkins (72' Brewer)

Unused Substitutes: Cappelletti, Lorena, Robinson, Branson, Gemelli, Kaufusi

SE Palmeiras Lineup: Tainá, Coutinho (71' Guimarāes), Poliana (56' Maldaner), Tays, Palermo, Benitez, Andressinha (71' Lima), Brena (83' Basílio), Glaucia (56' Santos), Zaneratto ©, Assis (83' Martins)

Unused Substitutes: Raven, Natascha, Campiolo, Amaral, Julia, Liss

Check out the Kansas City Current Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from April 12, 2026


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